In London, they're auditioning hobbits for the stage musical version of "The Lord of the Rings." It flopped in Toronto, closing three months early. Now it's opening early next year, with the show shortened and tightened and otherwise fiddled with.
Meanwhile, MGM says they HOPE Peter Jackson does the movie version of "The Hobbit" they want. But what project is Jackson actually developing? Along with "The Lovely Bones," (the book he optioned and is working on a screenplay with his partners on), Jackson has just optioned the Temeraire series of books by Naomi Novik. These clever books (she's written three) envision the Napoleonic Wars in a world where dragons exist. Combine dragons with naval battles and you are talking a VERY expensive movie. The books are solid fare for fantasy buffs, with the first one okay and the second two improving on the idea in every way. It's easy to see why Jackson would be interested.
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This is very, very cool! If there was one director that seems perfect to bring these wonderful books to the silver screen, its Peter Jackson. No matter the project he works on, Jackson shows respect for the source material. We certainly saw that in the Lord of the Rings and to some extent in King Kong, which paid homage to the original film and its period. I'm not sure what the box office potential is for the novels, but they couldn't be in better hands.
Have you read all three? I thought they really improved in complexity in books two and three. I think the movie potential is huge -- since they have thrilling battle seasons and of course dragons. It's definitely a spectacle. Jackson will have great fun with it if he sticks with the project and directs. It's the sort of popcorn movie Spielberg used to do so well. Mind you, they better make tons of money because they will be very, very expensive. Read any other good fantasy/sci-fi lately?
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